Generator installation in Beaverton, OR

When a windstorm or ice storm drops power across the west metro, a Beaverton full of home offices feels it fast. Backup power is a wiring decision as much as a generator purchase, and we handle the wiring end to end.

Call (503) 484-7556 Request a callback

MBE Certified · ESB Certified · Licensed, Bonded & Insured

Oregon CCB #2271164.7★ · 69 Google reviews

MBE Certified

ESB Certified

Licensed, Bonded & InsuredOregon CCB #227116

4.7★ · 69 Google reviews

Backup power is the project Beaverton homeowners think about for exactly three days after every ice storm, then shelve until the next one. The honest version is smaller than most people expect: the generator itself is a purchase, and the part that makes it useful, the inlet, the transfer equipment, and the panel wiring, is a generator installation job with a defined scope and a clear price.

This city has a particular reason to care. A lot of Beaverton households now earn their living from a home office. When the grid drops, the outage is not an inconvenience, it is a lost workday. A generator that carries the office circuits, the refrigerator, and the furnace fan changes what a storm costs you.

Three ways to back up a Beaverton home

There are three rungs on the backup-power ladder, and we install all of them. The budget path is a portable generator paired with a panel inlet and an interlock kit, which lets you feed the circuits you choose through one safe connection instead of running cords through a window. The middle rung is a portable unit feeding a manual transfer switch that carries a dedicated set of essential circuits. The top rung is a whole-home standby generator with an automatic transfer switch that starts itself when the power drops.

The electrical work for the portable options, meaning the inlet or transfer switch, the wiring, and the permit, runs $800 to $2,500. The portable generator itself is a purchase you make, typically $500 to $2,500 depending on size. A whole-home standby system runs $6,000 to $15,000 or more installed. Our generator cost guide breaks down what moves each number.

Will your panel take a transfer switch?

Beaverton's housing splits around its late-1980s median, and the older half is where the panel question shows up. Transfer equipment lands on your service panel, so a pre-1980 home still running its original 100-amp service, or a panel already out of breaker space, may need a panel upgrade before a standby generator makes sense. We check that first, not mid-project, and the Beaverton panel upgrade page covers what that job involves. The newer homes rarely hit this; there the transfer equipment usually drops straight in.

Permits run through Beaverton's own system

Oregon requires an electrical permit and inspection for transfer switches and standby installations, and Beaverton handles its own through the City of Beaverton Building Division. We pull that city permit and see the work through inspection, so your backup power is documented, which is exactly what an insurer or a future buyer wants to see.

Standby units, the gas side, and the first visit

A standby generator also needs a fuel supply, usually a natural gas or propane connection. We handle the electrical side, the automatic transfer switch, the wiring, and any panel work, and we coordinate the gas connection with the right trade so you are not managing two contractors yourself. We install all major brands and size the unit to the loads you actually want covered, not the biggest thing on the truck.

Smiley Electric is licensed, bonded, and insured, Oregon CCB #227116, owned by Joshua Smiley, a Master Electrician with more than 20 years in the trade. If you want a number before anyone rolls out, ballpark quotes are free by phone or from photos of your panel, and the on-site assessment for a generator project is free as well.

Beaverton generator questions, answered

Should I get a portable setup or a standby generator in Beaverton?

It comes down to budget and how hands-on you want to be. A portable generator with an inlet or manual transfer switch costs far less, with the electrical work running $800 to $2,500, but you wheel it out, fuel it, and start it yourself. A whole-home standby system at $6,000 to $15,000 or more installed starts itself and carries the house automatically. If your income depends on staying online at home, the automatic option earns its keep faster.

Do I need a permit for a generator transfer switch in Beaverton?

Yes. Oregon requires an electrical permit and inspection for transfer switches and standby generator installations, and Beaverton handles its own permitting through the City of Beaverton Building Division. We pull the city permit and see the work through inspection as part of the job.

Will my older Beaverton panel need an upgrade before a standby generator?

Sometimes. Transfer equipment mounts on your service panel, and many of Beaverton's pre-1980 homes still run original 100-amp services that are already near their limit. We assess the panel first, and if it needs an upgrade we tell you before you commit to a generator, so the two projects can be planned together instead of discovered mid-job. Newer homes usually clear the check easily.

How do I get a price on generator work without committing?

Start with a phone call or photos of your panel and meter, and we will give you a free ballpark quote for the setup you are considering. The on-site assessment for a generator project is free too, and you get a clear written number before any work begins.

Tell us what needs fixing or what you’re planning.

Call our office or request a callback to discuss the work and arrange the next step. For planned projects, start with a free ballpark by phone or photo. For troubleshooting and repairs, ask about an Electrical Service Appointment.

Call (503) 484-7556Mon–Sat, 7am–5pm